Tuesday, January 10, 2012

I know I haven't posted in a couple of days. Things have been so crazy trying to actually get in the routin of teaching that I have been so backed up with figuring out lessons and understanding my students better. I know on Thursday we had a major issue that really tested my beliefs in teaching. I was worried about going to school on friday as in I didn't know how to respond to the students in the aftermath of Thursday. It actually turned out that Friday was the easiest day I have had so far. (Knock on wood) After that we had, what is considered to be a "honeymoon", of a day. Kids were listening and my host teacher and I actually could start planning my lessons that I will be teaching. Going to school today, I was actually excited to see what the students learning and to show them this amazing Live Octopus web cam. I was thinking they would actually be excited to see them move about and maybe they would actually learn something more about this animal. My host teacher is doing a test that takes about 45 minutes for one student and she has to complete 8 of them by friday. So when she was out of the room I would take over with their worksheet and when they would have that complete then they would be able to watch this video.That is alot easier said then done. The students would not even listen to anything I would say. Actually a student told me something today that I left me speechless for a moment. We were walking down the hallway because this would be the first day the students would be able to go through the salad bar! They were excited to start that process that they were bouncing off the wall. As they were walking into the commons area a student at the end of the line was refusing to move any farther (this is a student that is bd). As I walked over to them to talk to them to get them to move ahead, he was telling me not to take a step closer to him. Well of course that didn't stop me! So I moved forward and when I got to them I placed my hand on his shoulder, but it was in plain view, as in he saw me approaching him and I was standing in front so that this student would know what I was about to do. They looked at me and told me to "get my dirty hands off of them!" This was no joking matter. So I then got to down to their level, and told them that I was a teacher, which meant that I was to be treated with just as much of respect as everyone else. Then I took him to the BD room, this is a place for them to go when they act out and disrespect a teacher. Only a student that is BD can go to this room, it provides them with more of a one on one teaching that we aren't able to provide them in a normal classroom. I think that I was more shocked then anything at this time. I know they are young I just don't know how to gain their respect at such a young age when they are already missing it?

Friday, January 6, 2012

When I woke up this morning, I had this feeling that today was going to be an interesting day. Boy was I right! By noon today we had two students that were forcibly removed from the classroom by multiple adults. One of the students I completely understand why they are acting the way they are. I mean there is no excuse for what they are doing, but at the same time you need to know their background in order to understand where they are coming from. This student decided that it was time to give the room a makeover. They were removing things off the wall and the carpet. It all ended with them running out of the room and all over the school why some teachers tried to catch them. That led with having the student running back into our room and destroying more things until we had the Principal and another teacher carried them out of the room. That all happened by 10! Then our second student decided that they weren’t going to do anything that anyone told them. It was time to go to music and they didn’t want to go so they screamed and threw a fit until they were put into our Special Ed room. Finally after some time that teacher brought them to the music room but of course they missed music and they had to stand out in the hallway with me until the rest of the students came out. That time I told them to go and line up against the wall and they yelled and stomped their feet at me. I just didn’t know what to do except I know that working with these types of students I know that I can not give in to their demands. That is what I had to do…not give in. The hardest part of this was not the whole acting out issue to me it was the heartbreaking feeling you seeing a 5 year old act like this! To me as a teacher we are expected to teach all of this information to the students. But answer this question for me, How is a student suppose to learn a ton of information when in the back of their head they have to deal with all of life problems? Over hearing all of the student’s home life is hard for me to wrap my head around due to the fact that I have never even experience that myself. That makes it hard to get to their level when at the age of 5 they have dealt with more of life problems then you have. I just don’t know how to help that.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Well today I could really tell the students were very comfortable with me. All of the sassy and attitudes came to the surface. I had to carried a girl out of the room and to the nurse because she refused to walk! That took place about 10 in the morning...the funny this is the students were only there for maybe 2 hours when that happened. Lucky today was an early out so that meant we just had to get through the morning. But that wasn't just what happened today. I finally get to start planning my two weeks of full teaching. My host teacher informed me that I will be basically left along but only for me to get my own experience. She will be in the room but for the more of the legal aspects. That does have me worried but yet not so much. I have so much I already know with completing all of my classes that I do feel like I have a good base under my belt. The real test will be we it comes to actually testing all of my knowledge. Can we say scared but excited at the same time.
But don't think that I had the worst day ever. As I walked into my school this little boy ran up to me and hugged me. Then he said that I was a teacher yesterday and then asked me if I was going to be a teacher today. I told him I would be a teacher for a while at his school and he told me that made him happy. The funny thing is that he isn't in my class, he is in another kindergarten class. Then when I walked into my classroom I was told right away that I was very pretty. HAHA talk about an ego boost.
Since the kids got to go home early we had meetings today. Since I was new I really didn't know what to think about all of these meetings. We learned about this intervention program to help with all the aggressiveness that the students project. Will it work...idk. This is will be a challenge for our students. But I am excited to see how this one plays out...

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Well what can I say, today was a whirle wind! Having this be my first day made it on the stressful side. I was pretty overwhelmed as I entered the classroom. All of my field experiences are nothing like the real world of teaching!
Today my teacher presented to me a binder with about basically all of the information that I would need in order to survive in her room. Everything from the students standpoint in their knowledge to their social skills! To me that was alot to be getting all at once. Then I also found out what I will be teaching when it comes to actually my two full weeks! Now I kow some of you are thinking that shouldn't be so bad, but when you have a teacher work sample on top of that it makes it seem like it is so much. My mind is so confused and scared about everything, I am not really sure where to start!
Now my students on the other hand were (I believe ) is their testing phase on knowing you. Alot of them tried that trick of "your new lets see what I can get away with! Some of them did succeed, while others not so much. All that I know is that it is 7 at night and I am completely drained and actually wanting to go to bed. Lame I know but with 20 + kindergarteners and getting up at 4:30 in the morning to workout, by 7 I do feel like it is 2 in the morning. I am hoping by next week my sleeping will not be so needed with everything I have going...well lets see about that one!

Monday, January 2, 2012

So this is my night before student teaching! Nervous are an understatement as I think about all the students that I will be working with starting tomorrow. Since you don't know what my new students are like, I guess I should tell you about them.
First of all I am teaching in a small school in Clinton Iowa. I do have a kindergarten class but that doesn't mean that I don't have my work cut out for me. My students don't quit have the best up bringing! I do know that the school I am working in the one school in the district that has the most free reduce lunchs for the students. That is completely different from what I grew up with since my school was one of the weathly schools in the district. My host teaching is AMAZING. I already am so comfortable with her, it is almost unreal.
Don't think I forgot to tell you about my students! These students are ones that are going to be a challenge! I have some students that are BD students, and others that are attention seeking ones. My teacher did inform me that this class is a challenge for her and she has been teaching for quit some time. Even though this scares me to think about I know that this is the type of school that needs me as a teacher. I know with every ounce of me that I have alway known I belonged in a school that would contain challenging students. It might be hard to sleep tonight because I have that feeling a little kid would be on the Chirstmas Eve as they are trying to go to sleep.
I should probably stop rambling on since I am getting up at 4:30 to go workout before I start my adventure and I still have to go pick out my Big Girl Outfit for tomorrow....so until next time I will leave you with on of my favorite quotes from one of the most inspirational books that I have ever read...

WAITING FOR SUPERMAN~

Geoffrey Canada: I was like what do you mean he's not real. And she thought I was crying because it's like Santa Clause is not real and I was crying because there was no one coming with enough power to save us..

I want to be that superman (superwomen) to rescue that kid....to save them!